A New Addition to My Family
02 Friday Oct 2009
Posted Personal
in02 Friday Oct 2009
Posted Personal
in01 Thursday Oct 2009
rain water wind blows,
Nicholas Yeo has been pastoring Holy Light Church (English) for 36 years. He was appointed as preacher in the Presbyterian church in 1973 and ordained in 1979. He retired on 1st October 2009.
author’s notes:
“rain” falls on all persons. The bible states that God allows rain to fall on the “just” and the “unjust.” This also shows the extend of Nicholas’ ministry which extends to Christians and non-Christians alike.
“water” signifies life. It is a life-giving work that Nicholas has been involved with all these years. Thirty six years is a long time. It reflects the character of a person and the strength of his calling.
“wind blows” – the Greek for Spirit is pneuma which is often translated as breath or wind. This indicates the influence of the Holy Spirit in Nicholas’ ministry. As at times, the direction in which the wind blows is unpredictable, as does the direction the Holy Spirit has led Nicholas’ ministry.
“plants fruit” shows the importance of investing in human beings. Plants are used to represent people in Nicholas’ ministry while fruit may be self-development of these people to fulfil their personal destinies. It also indicates the fruit of the Holy Spirit of their lives.
“in the garden of the minds” is where the battleground is. His teaching and caring ministry may be likened to a gardener caring for a garden. The planting, tilling, watering, prunings are conducive to growth as in the light from the Son.
“single water droplet falls, pond calm surface calls” is the imagery of a drop of water falling on the placid calm surface of a pond or a lake. A ripple forms and widens in concentric circles outwards. His ministry is like a drop of water in God’s redemptive plan.
“in mind like living waters, ripple widens, outward forever flows.” No one but God will know the effect of each individual action or act of kindness. Like as ripple in the lake spreading ever outwards, causing secondary ripples and so on, Nicholas’ ministry has far reaching circumstances that no one will know.
I dedicate this to the man and his wife who serve their God well.
31 Monday Aug 2009
Off to San Francisco we go….
30 Sunday Aug 2009
Posted Church, Pastoral care, Personal
in23 Thursday Jul 2009
The pomp and ceremonies of the wedding are over, the last revelers have gone home and the young couple has embarked on their honeymoon. Here am I, O Lord, sitting quietly before you. I wish to thank you for the privilege of being the father of the bride. My heart is bursting with gratitude that come from your wonderful generosity. When I first held my little girl in my arms – so small, warm, fragile and beautiful – I know that it is pure grace that brought her into my life. As I watch her grow from a baby to childhood and gradually blossom into womanhood, I can feel your presence in our little family and your smile upon us all. Father, I confess that I have not been a good father but I have been trying my best. For whatever my shortcomings have been in bringing her up, I trust in your Holy Spirit to fill in the gaps.
Father, I pray that you will help her to become the helpmate to the man you have so carefully chosen for her. Let them be anamcara to each other. Now, they have to learn from each other. Please give them lots of grace for each occasion, overflowing with forgiveness, and joy in their new life together. May their love grow into hesed love – a covenant love of commitment.
As they grow closer to each other, let them grow closer to you, O Lord, the originator and finisher of their faith. And as they begin their journey together, may they partake of the goodness of your table fellowship, drink deep of your living water, and dive deep into your fathomless depths. You are a self-revealing God. Please help them to appreciate your presence in their everyday life. May they grow in their marriage as they grow deeper into knowing and becoming like your Son. Yet in their growing, let them allow one another to reach their full potential as themselves, not as each other’s expectation, but as their own unique personalities.
As you have taught us, there is a season for everything. There will be times of great rejoicing and there will be times of great sorrow. Here, in the springtime of their marriage, give them joy as they discover the pleasures of each other. Protect them with your angels and build a hedge around them that they may be safe from pettiness and violence of this world. Lead them to your communities of faith that will nurture and nourish them in all ways. Give them a sense of vocation and involve them in your missio dei.
Father, help me to ‘let go’ of my little girl and to welcome a new ‘son’ into my family. It is a time of transition for me and my joy is bitter-sweet. This is a new experience for me though I know that many fathers have walked this path through time immemorial. I must now take on a different role. Teach me, O Lord, to be a blessing to them.
18 July 2009
18 Saturday Jul 2009
Posted Personal
inhttp://www.youtube.com/v/BHcqaDNOqyI&hl=en&fs=1&
sticking little white flowers all up in her
hair; “Walk beside the pony, Daddy, it’s my first ride.”
“I know the cake looks funny, Daddy, but I sure tried.”
In all that I’ve done wrong I know I must
have done something right to deserve a hug
every morning and butterfly kisses at night.
Sweet 16 today
She’s looking like her mama a little more everyday
One part woman, the other part girl.
To perfume and make-up from ribbons and curls
Trying her wings out in a great big world.
But I remember
Butterfly kisses after bedtime prayer; sticking
little white flowers all up in her hair.
“You know how much I love you, Daddy, But if you
don’t mind I’m only gonna kiss you on the cheek this time.”
With all that I’ve done wrong I must have done
something right to deserve her love every morning
and butterfly kisses at night.
All the precious time
Like the wind, the years go by.
Precious butterfly.
Spread your wings and fly.
She’ll change her name today.
She’ll make a promise and I’ll give her away.
Standing in the bride-room just staring at her.
She asked me what I’m thinking and I said “I’m not
sure-I just feel like I’m losing my baby girl.”
She leaned over…gave me butterfly kisses with her mama there,
Sticking little white flowers all up in her hair
“Walk my down the aisle, Daddy-it’s just about time.”
“Does my wedding gown look pretty, Daddy? Daddy, don’t cry!”
Oh, with all that I’ve done wrong I must have
done something right.
To deserve your love every morning and butterfly
kisses-I couldn’t ask God for more, man this is what love is.
I know I gotta let her go, but I’ll always remember
every hug in the morning and butterfly kisses.
27 Saturday Jun 2009
Posted Children, Ministries, Personal
in18 Thursday Jun 2009
14 Sunday Jun 2009
Posted Personal
inO Lord, I have heard Thy voice and was afraid. Thou hast called me to an awesome task in a grave and perilous hour. Thou are about to shake all nations and the earth and also heaven, that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. O Lord, our Lord, Thou has stopped to honor me to be Thy servant. No man takes this honor upon himself save he that is called of God as was Aaron. Thou has ordained me Thy messenger to them that are stubborn of heart and hard of hearing. They have rejected Thee, the Master, and it is not to be expected that they will receive me, the servant.
My God, I shall not waste time deploring my weakness nor my unfittedness for the work. The responsibility is not mine but Thine. Thou hast said, “I knew thee—I ordained thee—I sanctified thee,” and Thou has also said, “Thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.” Who am I to argue with Thee or to call into question Thy sovereign choice? The decision is not mine but Thine. So be it, Lord. Thy will, not mine, be done.
Well do I know, Thou God of the prophets and the apostles, that as long as I honor Thee Thou wilt honor me. Help me therefore to take this solemn vow to honor Thee in all my future life and labors, whether by gain or by loss, by life or by death, and then to keep that vow unbroken while I live.
It is time, O God, for Thee to work, for the enemy has entered into Thy pastures and the sheep are torn and scattered. And false shepherds abound who deny the danger and laugh at the perils which surround Thy flock. The sheep are deceived by these hirelings and follow them with touching loyalty while the wolf closes in to kill and destroy. I beseech Thee, give me sharp eyes to detect the presence of the enemy; give me understanding to distinguish the false friend from the true. Give me vision to see and courage to report what I see faithfully. Make my voice so like Thine own that even the sick sheep will recognize it and follow Thee.
Lord Jesus, I come to Thee for spiritual preparation. Lay Thy hand upon me. Anoint me with the oil of the New Testament prophet. Forbid that I should become a religious scribe and thus lose my prophetic calling. Save me from the curse that lies dark across the face of the modern clergy, the curse of compromise, of imitation, of professionalism. Save me from the error of judging a church by its size, its popularity or the amount of its yearly offering. Help me to remember that I am a prophet; not a promoter, not a religious manager—but a prophet. Let me never become a slave to crowds. Heal my soul of carnal ambitions and deliver me from the itch for publicity. Save me from the bondage to things. Let me not waste my days puttering around the house. Lay Thy terror upon me, O God, and drive me to the place of prayer where I may wrestle with principalities and powers and the rulers of the darkness of this world. Deliver me from overeating and late sleeping. Teach me self-discipline that I may be a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
I accept hard work and small rewards in this life. I ask for no easy place. I shall try to be blind to the little ways that I could make my life easier. If others seek the smoother path I shall try to take the hard way without judging them too harshly. I shall expect opposition and try to take it quietly when it comes. Or if, as sometimes it falleth out to Thy servants, I shall have grateful gifts pressed upon me by Thy kindly people, stand by me then and save me from the blight that often follows. Teach me to use whatever I receive in such manner that it will not injure my soul nor diminish my spiritual power. And if in Thy permissive providence honor should come to me from Thy church, let me not forget in that hour that I am unworthy of the least of Thy mercies, and that if men knew me as intimately as I know myself they would withhold their honors or bestow them upon others more worthy to receive them.
And now, O Lord of heaven and earth, I consecrate my remaining days to Thee; let them be many or few, as Thou wilt. Let me stand before the great or minister to the poor and lowly; that choice is not mine, and I would not influence it if I could. I am Thy servant to do Thy will, and that will is sweeter to me than position or riches or fame and I choose it above all things on earth or in heaven. Though I am chosen of Thee and honored by a high and holy calling, let me never forget that I am but a man of dust and ashes, a man with all the natural faults and passions that plague the race of men. I pray Thee therefore, my Lord and Redeemer, save me from myself and from all the injuries I may do myself while trying to be a blessing to others. Fill me with thy power by the Holy Spirit, and I will go in Thy strength and tell of Thy righteousness, even Thine only. I will spread abroad the message of redeeming love while my normal powers endure.
Then, dear Lord, when I am old and weary and too tired to go on, have a place ready for me above, and make me to be numbered with Thy saints in glory everlasting. Amen.”
From A Passion For God: The Spiritual Journey of A. W. Tozer by Lyle Dorsett (Chicago, IL; Moody, 2008), pp. 65-68.
23 Thursday Apr 2009
Posted Personal
in